SAN RAMON, Calif.—CooperVision, a global leader in myopia management, announced Wednesday that popular U.S. television actress and producer Sarah Michelle Gellar will be the spokeswoman for its Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program.  Brilliant Futures is built around MiSight 1 day, the first and only soft contact lens FDA-approved to slow the progression of myopia in children ages 8-12 at the initiation of treatment, according to the announcement. This new, multichannel direct-to-consumer advertising campaign featuring Gellar will highlight the importance of annual comprehensive eye exams in monitoring the progression of myopia in children.

It will include national and regional broadcast segments, content across digital and social media, and influencers who will be sharing their personal experiences with myopia, according to the announcement. CooperVision Tweeted a video featuring Gellar on Wednesday. It can be viewed here.

The campaign is underway now and will utilize digital, traditional and social components over the next few weeks. It will be one of the largest consumer myopia management campaigns in the U.S. with a $33 million advertising value, a spokeswoman told VMAIL on Wednesday. 

“My husband and I are both nearsighted—and our myopia has continued to worsen over time,” Gellar said. “We want our kids to have a chance for better vision and lower their risk for future eye health issues. While regular eyeglasses or contacts help children see a whiteboard or tennis ball today, MiSight 1 day lenses offer children the benefits of clear vision while slowing myopia progression during their growing years. That is why I am thrilled to be partnering with CooperVision on this campaign.”

In addition to working with Gellar, CooperVision will collaborate with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) to engage in meaningful unbranded conversations about myopia with the organization’s members. While the NASN does not endorse products, school nurses are often the first to observe the signs of myopia in affected children and are therefore important myopia management advocates.

CooperVision received FDA-approval of the MiSight 1 day contact lens in November 2019, making the U.S. its 18th market worldwide.

“This reinforced CooperVision as a leader in the myopia management category,” CooperVision president Daniel G. McBride said. “In this particular moment in time, with so many children learning virtually and spending less time outdoors, the topic of myopia management is more relevant than ever before.

"As category creators and leaders in the myopia management sector, we believe it is our responsibility and privilege, alongside the optometric community, to educate parents and offer them tools to help their children who may be struggling with myopia. Our decision to make this sizable investment in educating parents is consistent with our view that addressing myopia early is vitally important,” McBride said.

“CooperVision has always been committed to eye health innovation,” added Jerry Warner, executive vice president, Americas and global commercial functions of CooperVision. “The goal of this campaign is to help build awareness of the short and long term effects of myopia. More than just vision correction, CooperVision’s myopia management program can help build a brilliant future for our children.”  

More than 40 percent of Americans have myopia, commonly referred to as nearsightedness, and that number is increasing at an alarming rate, especially among school-aged children, CooperVision noted.

Two-thirds of U.S. eyecare professionals say the incidence of myopia among children in their practices has increased over the past 5-10 years and 81 percent of those practitioners recognize it as one of the biggest problems impacting children’s eyesight today.

To learn more, visit CooperVision’s myopia management site here.